Linn-Mathes Inc. – Exhibit on Superior

Linn-Mathes is helping Magellan Development Group realize its vision for modern high-end residences in Chicago’s River North.

By the Editors of Construction Today

Within the heart of downtown Chicago’s apartment building boom another residential tower is rising that will set the standard for living in the River North neighborhood.

“Exhibit on Superior is the essence of a shared urban lifestyle,” says Magellan Development Group, the building’s developer. “Just minutes from the Loop, Exhibit on Superior capitalizes on its location in the heart of the River North entertainment district. This exciting neighborhood has something for everyone: boutique shopping, a variety of high-end fining, art and furniture galleries, as well as everyday conveniences,” Magellan says.

The 283,000-square-foot, 34-story apartment tower is being built at 165 W. Superior St. on the site of a former Howard Johnson hotel. The finished building will have 298 rental housing units split between studios and one-, two- or three-bedroom options with an average size of 715 square feet. The average rent is expected to be $2,500 a month. Each apartment will feature a number of high-end finishes such as floor-to-ceiling windows, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors and in-unit washers and dryers.

“Building features include both public and private spaces designed to complete your urban lifestyle,” Magellan says. The apartments will sit above a four-story podium that houses a garage with room for 109 parking stalls and retail space along the frontage of LaSalle and Superior Streets.

Modern Features

Those living at Exhibit on Superior will enjoy 29,000 square feet of amenities. The building will include a fitness center, lounges, dining room, outdoor deck with a pool, hot tub, cabanas and 24-hour doorman service. There will even be space for the public in the development. An 8,400-square-foot pocket park with gardens, seating and a café/wine bar will be built at the corner of Superior and Wells Street. “Set back 80 feet from Wells Street, the property creates a new park with extensive landscaping and a dog run that is accessible to the public,” says bKL Architects, the designers of the project.

The park isn’t the only part of the project to embrace nature. According to records of the Chicago Department of Buildings, the building will incorporate a 5,690-square-foot green roof and is aiming for LEED certification.

The project’s green features match Magellan’s core values for all of its projects. “Magellan develops environmentally sensitive urban communities that combine innovative architectural design with high-quality construction,” the company says. The building itself has a modern design that speaks to the luxury within.

“This modern glass and masonry residential tower was inspired by the historical buildings in its surrounding River North neighborhood,” bkl Architecture says. The primarily glass structure is designed in an L shape, with the tower in the middle of the block and the podium and outdoor deck jutting out to the corner of LaSalle and Superior, allowing residents to look out their windows onto Magnificent Mile, River North and the rest of downtown Chicago.

Experienced Builder

When it came time to decide what company would actually build the project, Magellan chose Linn-Mathes, a general contractor with nearly a century of experience in the Chicago market. Linn-Mathes has been building in Chicago since 1919.

“Now in our third generation of family ownership and operations, we continue to uphold our unmatched dedication to client satisfaction, quality craftsmanship and integrity at every level,” the company says. “With decades of experience and a diverse portfolio of completed projects, our team is ready to handle building and renovation projects of all kinds.”

The company’s range of services made it an ideal choice to oversee the building of Exhibit on Superior. Linn-Mathes is experienced in preconstruction services, general contracting, design-assist, building information modeling. Through the use of lean construction methods, Linn-Mathes delivers projects on time and within budget.

“As an integrated project delivery method similar to design/build, our lean construction concept also utilizes MEPFP BIM coordination to maximize prefabrication of mechanical systems and reduce waste,” the company says. “By using a three- to six-week schedule look-ahead process, we can identify potential logistical, procurement and coordination issues before they arise on site. We also implement the design, measure, analyze, improve and control process into our project problem solving and scheduling functions to maximize the impact of our efforts.”

Linn-Mathes began working on the buildings foundation at the end of July 2015 and the building is expected to be finished in 2017. With construction nearing the final phases at Exhibit on Superior, Linn Mathes and Magellan have already partnered on another residential building. Work began in 2015 on a 39-story, 442-unit apartment tower at 167 W. Erie St.

The project, called Gallery on Wells, shares some similarities with Exhibit on Superior, but will feature larger units and cater to slightly more upscale residents. Linn-Mathes is also acting as the general contractor on that project.